He hadn’t ever gotten such an odd feeling from anyone else, not even Talamir. :No, it’s not just that. She’s not an Empath, is she?:

:Not so far as I know,; his Companion replied thoughtfully. :But she does have one rather odd little Gift. She doesn’t have to cast the Truth Spell to know if someone is telling the truth, so long as she’s in close proximity to them. It’s why she’s in the city courts, in fact.:

Interesting. Perhaps that was why she seemed to be able to get the people to tell her so much. Perhaps that was why she was so focused on needing to know the why of things. If you always knew that something was true or false, maybe your focus shifted from finding out the truth, to finding out the reasons behind it.

If you knew that something was true, maybe that impelled you to talk to others, as well as listen to them.

:Am I needed up the hill?: he asked. Kantor would know; the Companions always seemed to be more-or-less in contact with one another.

Kantor’s reply was immediate. :No. And I’ve no objection to staying here in this nice, dry stable if you have something you need to do. Shall I tell them you’re going to be down here a while?:

:Please do.: Myste might not be the right person to talk to about some of the things that were troubling him, but she was right about one thing. Gerichen was, and if he couldn’t take counsel with one of Vkandis’ own, who could he speak with? :Tell them—:

He hesitated. :If anyone wants to know, tell them I’m going to visit a friend.:

* * *

The Temple of the Lord of Light in Haven was a small one, situated between a saddlery and a chandler. Alberich thought the chandler a particularly appropriate neighbor, all things considered. Candles—next to the Temple of the Light? He wondered if the chandler knew.

He’d gone back to the secret room and donned the garb of one of his more-respectable personae, in no small part because that persona was possessed of a raincape, an article of clothing that Herald Alberich had forgotten to bring with him this evening. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt for Lysander Fleet to be seen here. It was one more layer in the persona.

The duties of a Sunpriest began at sunrise and ended at sunset, but Geri would be accessible for another couple of marks—

Candlemarks, he reminded himself. He had to start thinking in Valdemaran terms, or he would never get the hang of this confounded illogical tongue…